I just got back from 3 months In the Philippines. On the flight from Manila to San Francisco, they were explaining how everyone needed to go through customs, and where to go depending on if you had foreign/US/etc passports, plus Global Entry. They also mentioned the Custom & Border Patrol’s “Mobile Passport Control” app.
When we touched down, I downloaded it. It asked a few questions about if I had anything to declare, was traveling with over 10k in currency, etc. Then if asked me to take a pic of my passport and it automatically integrated that info. I clicked “submit” and it made a form that was automatically sent to CPB and good for 4 hours. The whole process from downloading to completing it took around 4 minutes.
When I got to customs, there was a longggg line for regular folks, but Global Entry and MPC had separate lines. There were 5 people ahead of me in MPC (versus hundreds in the normal line). I can’t figure out why more people don’t use the app. It was so simple and saved me a lot of time. It basically seemed like global entry, but without the fee and application, lol.
Anyway, just putting it on your radar in case you travel international to a MPC-compatible airport and don’t want to wait in line. FYI, I believe it’s only for US citizens.
Edit: it looks like it’s not limited to only US passports. From u/I140throwaway,
”The MPC mobile app, is available to U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitors and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with approved ESTA.”
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control
by diverareyouok
34 Comments
No, it’s not just for US citizens.
“The MPC mobile app, is available to U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitors and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with approved ESTA.”
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control
A number of traveler categories can use it. MPC has always been fast for me; I’ve never waited longer than Global Entry even.
Do you start the submission when you’re abroad? I’m going to London and Paris this summer and flying home to SFO. I will be with my wife and kid too. Wondering if I can start the process in, say, the Paris airport so we are good to go when we arrive
I mentioned this the other day and someone said it no longer works at JFK.
When I came back at Newark a few months back, the MPC line was closed, and I ended up in the same line as everybody else. So YMMV.
I’ve gotten the skip the line with this app several times, but this week coming through Newark, they had MPC app in the same line as all US passports, so it didn’t help me really.
I love MPC! When I was coming home from Canada I didn’t realize I would be going through customs before the flight, but I was still able to finish the whole questionnaire while in line.
Just used it at Miami International yesterday. They didn’t scan it and waived us through but, I used it 🤷♂️
I downloaded and set up this app at Dulles 2 years ago after a suggestion from an airport worker while we were in an hours-long line coming back from France. As soon as I had it set up they pulled us right out of the line and took us right to passport control – wouldn’t have made our flight home otherwise!
Dude, don’t tell everyone
I’d love to hear about comparisons to Global Entry (which we have.)
Is there any benefit to using MPC vs GE? Does doing MPC expedite the GE process in any way?
Shhhhhhh. Stop sharing this around, the line won’t be so short if you keep sharing it.
Shhh! Delete this!!!!
They appear to have completely abandoned it Atlanta too. We wasted our time getting everything set just to get sent to the regular line and wait an hour while 3 of 64 lanes were in operation. It’s infuriating how poorly airport immigration can be here in US compared to others countries despite the fees and taxes we pay.
Coming home through jfk I downloaded the app and loaded everything on the app on the walk to customs. Once we got there we got to go through with military and airline employees and they didn’t even ask for our information.
Went to Aruba a few months ago and went through it in minutes while the regular line was hideously long. They had sign all along the way for people to use it but no one was. I have no idea why not
>It basically seemed like global entry, but without the fee and application, lol.
I wouldn’t go that far, Global Entry is a huge value add. You barely even have to stop walking, the kiosk just scans your face and you walk right through. At all 3 NYC airports at least there’s more than enough kiosks, even with a huge passport line I haven’t spent more than like 30 seconds for Global Entry in a while.
Thanks for the info about Mobile Passport Control app
Canada has a similar thing – it’s the Advanced Declaration in the ArriveCAN app.
Most people think that app was only a COVID thing, so they have no idea it’s still around and you can submit your declaration electronically on it – takes all of one minute to do. Hell, you can do it on the tarmac when you land.
Doing it lets you use the “Express” lanes at major airports like YYZ.
I have NEXUS but there’s been a few times I’ve forgotten my card, so I use the advanced declaration feature in the app. The “Express” line is literally just as fast as the NEXUS line, because so few people know it’s a thing. Unlike NEXUS, you don’t have to pay or go through any kind of interviews etc. to use it. Definitely a best kept secret if you’re Canadian or travel to Canada a lot.
I remember first time visiting LA, I was told to scan my passport if I had B1/B2 and then if it generated a slip with no problem, I was told to go in a vacant queue and was out in about 2mins. I always wish it’s going to be same but sadly have not encountered that and have had to stand in line for about 30mins to 2 hours.
Same experience at SeaTac. Saved a ton of time.
Mods take this down please 🤣
We used the ArriveCAN app in Canada and it was such a fiasco I don’t even want to get into it. Look up some news stories on it over the last four years.
My local airport closed the Mobile Passport Line and I’ve since been long disappointed.
It didn’t work for me
Some things we don’t want everyone to know about…
you need to update your post. its not the entire USA. only some terminals in some airports support it.
also it doesn’t let you skip customs. it lets you skip the passport control part. you still have to do customs checks if you have to declare stuff.
I only learned about the app a few days ago and downloaded it to give it a go. I flew back to the US from Seoul yesterday and my airport has a dedicated MPC line and I was the only one in it. It took about 10minutes tops to get from the airplane to baggage claim! Highly recommend this!
No separate MPC line at MSP a few weeks ago. They still had signs up for it but we were ushered into the regular, very long line.
Don’t fucking tell people, if they don’t know already that sucks for them
Why you gotta be sharing this!? One of the reasons lines are so fast is hardly anyone uses it! Once the secret is out it will be the same as the other lines!
SHHHH
It’s nice, but it still sucks to wait 90 minutes for bags that you have to recheck.
It is really good when available. When my wife and I were flying home recently through Charlotte we had to make a relatively tight connection and customs was slammed. I thought we were screwed. I looked over and there was no one in the mobile passport control line. I downloaded the app, filled out our forms and took our pictures, and switched to the mobile line and was through it in about 15 minutes total. If I had all that beforehand we would have just walked through.
This is really a YMMV, there were times where the MPC passport line is closed (When I was returning via HNL for instance) and a CBP officer was directing people with MPC to go to the normal line as something about them not being able to process it. I have Global Entry now and unlike MPC, there’s no need to pull your phone up when you could just stare at the kiosk then head to the booth to verbally answer custom questions.